| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
ftack
Moderator
Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 2748
Location: Belgium
|
 Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 12:47 pm Post subject: comment on 'OOo Off the Wall: The Outlining and the Ecstasy' |
 |
|
I thought the article on Frames would have been the last in the 'OOo Off the Wall series on the Rookery, but there is a new one about Outlining (http://linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=7759). I am a big fan of Bruces articles on OOo, but for one time, I feel that Bruce misses the point somehow in this one. He seems to share a confusion that also frequently pops up on this forum here. It concerns the different purpose of paragraph numbering styles (including "Format - Numbering Bullets") and Tools - Outline Numbering (which is called 'Multi-style' outlining in the article). (see for example http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12065&highlight=outline or http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10966&highlight=outline):
Try using "Format - Numbering Bullets" for numbering your headings throughout your document: you will run into trouble at some point, with your TOC, etc. because that function simply is not designed for that. The only function designed to number headings is Tools - Outline Numbering.
| Quote: | | "My theory is Tools > Outlining was added by a programmer ignorant of styles back in the Jurassic Age when OpenOffice.org was StarOffice and owned by StarDivision. That is only a guess, but what else explains the duplication?" |
I do not agree. There is no duplication. The two numbering systems serve a different purpose. 'Tools - Outline numbering' is the one function designed to number your headings. Numbering styles instead serve to create numbered or bulleted lists. No more. A numbered or bulleted list is a sequence of paragraphs that are 'itemized' topics. Before and after, you have the fluent body text. You can find many of these in a document. These lists can be hierarchical. For that particular numbering format, the term 'Outline' is used. That term is causing the confusion, I guess. Perhaps, 'Hierarchical' would have been a better name for this tab in the 'Tools - Outline numbering' dialog.
An outline, in contrast, tells about the overall logical structure of your document. It reveals how the content of your document is logically arranged in different chapters, each with their subchapters, etc. The only tool in Writer that serves to automatically number your outline headings is Tools - Outline Numbering, and in no way does it duplicate Numbering styles or Format - Numbering/Bullets. The Tools - Outline numbering dialog actually is the location where a style is defined to be a heading style. In other words, it is there that you give your outline styles their logical definition.
This is illustrated by an issue in Writer where sometimes levels loose their connection with a paragraph style (typically a "Heading" style). (see this thread http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8213). When a Heading style does not show up in the Tools - Outline Numbering, it simply is not considered as a heading level style and hence won't show up in the Navigator as well. for Writer, a 'heading 3' style that is not listed somewhere in 'Tools - Outline Numbering' is no different than the Body text style.
Thus, the "Heading" styles only have their logical meaning if they are 'declared' in Tools - Outline numbering. Instead of the build in "Heading" styles, you may also assign your custom styles to act as heading styles instead. It is currently not recommended, though, because there is an issue with numbering custom styles. That should be fixed in the forthcoming 1.1.4, though (see http://qa.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=27534).
So, bear in mind upon reading Bruces latest article (read all his articles!) that "Single style numbering" and "multi-style outlining" as he calls it in fact has its very different purposes. Once you grasp that, numbering will have no mysteries anymore. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
galin
Newbie
Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 2
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 7:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
You can easily create your custom numbering style "by example". First customize your first list the way you want using Numbering/Bullets. Then, with your cursor in the list, call up the stylist (F11 to switch it on/off) and press the "Numbering Styles" button. Now press "New Style From Selection" and provide a name to your custom style. Your style should now be listed along with the build-in numbering styles.
----
narconon |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
foxcole
Super User
Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 2771
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:14 am Post subject: Re: comment on 'OOo Off the Wall: The Outlining and the Ecst |
|
|
Of course, Flack, you're right on the mark. Did you let Bruce know? It's a shame that article was published without someone else having a look at it... now some damage is done, even if he writes a correction.
_________________
Cheers!
---Fox
WinXP Pro SP2, OOo Portable 2.3.1, OOo local 2.4 RC4
New OpenOffice forum: http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/
Manuals: http://documentation.openoffice.org/manuals/index.html |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
